Families still calling for a Covid 19 public inquiry five years after deaths of loved ones in Louth nursing home

The lack of a proper Covid 19 inquiry that would give Dundalk families answers as to why 22 people died in Dealgan House Nursing Home almost five years ago was raised again in Leinster House last week by Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú.

The Dundalk TD was speaking during a debate on the Programme for Government which did not include an all-encompassing Covid 19 inquiry.

The government has instead established an ‘Independent Pandemic Evaluation Panel’ which is chaired by Professor Anne Scott which aims to ‘provide a factual account of the overall strategy and approach to planning for and handling of the pandemic in Ireland covering the period 1 January 2020 to 28 February 2022’.

Deputy Ó Murchú has, with a number of the Dealgan families, been calling since 2020 for an independent, public inquiry into how 22 people died in the Dundalk nursing home in April and May 2020.

READ MORE: Government's Covid-19 review falls short, leaving Dealgan House families without answers, says Dundalk TD

He told the Dáil last week that he was concerned about the lack of compellability given to the evaluation panel.

He said: “We will see what delivery there will be from this Government because many promises have been put down in the programme for Government.

“We need to deal with the particular issue of the Covid inquiry.

“We know of those families who lost loved ones in Dealgan House.

“I do not believe anyone is particularly happy with what has been in the public domain in regard to a Covid-19 inquiry and the lack of compellability.

“We need to see that lessons are learned, rather than just talking about learning lessons in dealing with the situation.

“I think of the families of the 22 people who died in tragic circumstances.”